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Traffic Rules to be followed in India

It is important to obey the traffic rules in India; not only because you can be fined for not obeying but also because they are there to ensure your safety. Compliance to the traffic rules starts with carrying all the documents necessary with you while driving a four (or more) wheeler or riding a two wheeler. Here is some information about the traffic rules.

The documents that you need to carry all the time

Primarily there are four documents that you need to carry while using your vehicle on the Indian roads.

Driving License: Driving license is a proof that you know how to use the vehicle and also that you know and understand the traffic rules. Driving license is issued to you after going through a driving test followed by a written test. Indian citizens are not allowed to use most of the vehicles without a driving license. If you do not have a driving license, you can visit the regional transport office and apply for one. You will be first issued a learner’s license and after six months you will get the driving license.

Pollution Control Certificate: A pollution control certificate is a must to drive/ride the vehicles on the Indian roads. A pollution control certificate is the proof that your vehicle emits pollutants below the permitted level. Most of the petrol pumps have the pollution checking machines and they can certify your vehicle as pollution free. Pollution certificate is valid only for 90 days and must be reissued after the expiry.

All the traffic rules must be observed to make sure that the safety and convenience of the citizens is maintained. Here are some of the common traffic rules in India:

Traffic Light: One of the most important traffic rules to be observed is that of the traffic light. Traffic light not only ensures that the accidents and mishaps are controlled; it helps in organizing the traffic too. There are three lights indicating three different signals and actions.

Red Light: Red light indicates that you need to stop and cannot proceed unless it has turned green.

Green Light: Green light indicates that the road ahead is clear and you can go.

Yellow/orange Light: Yellow or orange light appears after the green light and before the red light. It indicates that if you are at a certain speed and will not be able to slow down you can keep moving. However, if you have seen it from far then you must slow down and stop when the light turns red.

Overtaking Rules: Overtaking in India is mostly allowed only from the right of the vehicle in front of you. However, there are certain multi lane roads where you can overtake from the left as well. You can overtake only if the vehicle ahead has given the pass to you. There are certain roads where overtaking is not allowed. In that case you will need to follow the vehicle ahead of you until you reach the road where overtaking is allowed. During the night time, you must flash the dipper to make the vehicle ahead aware of your intentions to overtake them.

Speed Rules: Traffic rules in India are very clear about the speed limit. There are different speed limits at different places. For instance, if you are driving within the city, you may be restricted to 40 kmph. However, while driving on a highway you may be allowed speed as high as 100 kmph. Different cities have different speed limits and so do different highways. Even within the same city the speed limit could be different on different roads. Exceeding the speed limit attracts heavy fines.

Number of passengers rule: There is a limit to the number of passengers you can carry in a vehicle. Exceeding the number attracts traffic penalties. For instance, if you own a sedan car, its seating limit is 4 + 1. This means there can be total 5 people on the car including 4 passengers and 1 driver. Similarly there are other vehicles with higher seating capacities. Make sure that the number of passengers is according to the seating specification by the manufacturer and as per the registration of the vehicle.

Seatbelt rule: Wearing the seatbelt while driving on the Indian road is mandatory. Right now, the seatbelt is only mandatory for the driver and the passenger sitting in the front seat. You should wear the seatbelt not only to avoid the traffic penalties but also for your safety. It has been proven that people wearing seatbelts have lesser chances of injuries during a mishap than people not wearing it.

Other Rules: There are many other traffic rules in India and all of them must be observed. All the rules are meant for our safety and convenience. Obeying the rules will also ensure that the traffic remains smooth and organized. There are parking rules, talking over phone while driving rule, helmet rule, smoking while driving rule and many more.

To know more about different traffic rules in India, you can visit the RTO website. (http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/DoIT_Transport/transport/home)